Essential Oils for Cut Flowers

Who doesn’t love having decorative spring flowers to brighten their home? The only downside to bringing cut flowers inside is that they don’t seem to last very long. We have been experimenting with cut flowers, and we found that adding a drop of melaleuca to the water helps them last longer!

Useful tips when caring for cut flowers:

• Cut the stems of the flowers at an angle. This allows the flower to soak up nutrients more easily.
• Add a drop of melaleuca essential oil to a flower water mix (see recipe below). The melaleuca helps kill bacteria that leads to mold growth.
• Use filtered water to reduce the amount of chlorine and other minerals or chemicals often found in tap water. These substances diminish plant health.
• Change flower water and recut flower stems (just a tiny bit) every 2–3 days. A cut flower stem eventually seals up, preventing nutrient assimilation. So cutting the stems and adding more nutrients helps preserve the flowers.
• Keep cut flowers away from direct heat and light (if possible).

Decorative Flower Vases

Time: 5 minutes active | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• Flowers
• Glass bottles or clear plastic tubes
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 drop melaleuca essential oil
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (optional)
• 1 cup filtered water

Instructions:

1. Stir together sugar and melaleuca in a glass measuring cup.
2. Add apple cider vinegar and filtered water. Mix well until sugar is dissolved.
3. Add the water mixture to bottles or clear plastic tubes.
4. Cut flower stems at an angle a little longer than the desired length. Arrange flowers in the bottles or tubes.
5. Change flower water and cut stems just a little bit every 2–3 days.

Extra Ideas:

• Clear plastic tubes make great single flower vases. You can easily decorate them by gluing ribbon, buttons, or other items to the outside.
• If you are using cut flowers for an event—essential oil class, wedding reception, or party—you may want to use a floral essential oil instead of melaleuca to enhance the scent of your decoration. Then, when you are ready to display your flowers elsewhere (after 2+ days), add melaleuca essential oil to the replacement water. Some floral oils include lavender, ylang ylang, geranium, clary sage, Roman chamomile, jasmine, and rose.

Flower arrangements in glass bottles or clear plastic tubes make great centerpieces and decorations for essential oil classes!